Barcelona will extend veteran defender’s contract for another year

As reported by MARCA, Barcelona are set to extend the contract of veteran defender Dani Alves by another year.

The 38-year-old Brazilian signed for Barça on a free transfer in November last year, after his contract with Sao Paulo had run out. While he arrived days after the appointment of Xavi Hernandez as manager, the right-back was unable to make his second debut for the club until January.

After his registration was successful during the winter transfer window, the 38-year-old has made an immediate impact, already notching up a goal and two assists from just three La Liga appearances, while he has also created several goalscoring opportunities (13).

Despite his advancing years, Alves has shown that he is still in very good shape physically and can compete at this level for a little while longer. Add to it, the Brazilian international also brings a lot of value with his experience and know-how, while his positive attitude and outlook also rubs off on the squad.

Alves had signed a contract with the Catalans which would expire at the end of the ongoing campaign. The deal has a provision that would allow the club to extend his stay by another year and the seasoned campaigner has seemingly shown enough to convince the hierarchy to trigger that option.

Another reason for Barcelona and Xavi deciding to keep Alves around for longer is that he has shown a great capability to play as an inverted full-back, dropping into midfield alongside Sergio Busquets to provide defensive cover and support.

Alves, too, is keen on continuing at Camp Nou as he wishes to keep playing at the highest level in order to stay in the best shape possible for the upcoming FIFA World Cup later this year.

So, it would seem that a short-term extension would stand to benefit all parties and looks the most logical step from both the club and the player’s viewpoint.